Forked Thread: Is There A Published Setting For Me?

[Silvercat Moonpaw]

Forked from: Question for Players: Commercial or Homebrew?

Do a "Fork to new thread", give us what your looking for in a setting in outline format, and we'll see if we can match you up with a published setting or turn it into a "How to" thread.

Since it was offered, I'm going to give this a try. Be warned: I've told this to people in the past and they've been entirely confused by it.

What I want in my setting:
I want a generic, mid- to high-magic fantasy setting that has none of the following:
current wars
wars that are obviously about to happen
current secret groups plotting to take over
any hordes roving around at the current time
world-destroying horrors
secret evil things that come in the night to carry you off
hatred so bad it's currently resulting in genocide or cruel oppression.

Explanation:
I can't handle having my conflict spelled out for me. So I remove these things from any setting I come across. Problem is that they all seem to be designed around at least a few of these things existing and have neglected to provide any guide to what the world is like once they are removed. So I'm left with a setting featuring gaping holes.

 

[Silvercat Moonpaw]

Could someone delete this thread, please?

 

[Ashilyn]

If you're sticking to D&D3.5, Eberron sounds right up your ally. It has all of the things you want in spades, with a design focus on not spelling everything out for the players and DMs so that they can fill in the gaps and basically make the world their own. Eberron is a world where you can take any existing faction or conflict, and with in reason bend motivations, purpose, past, present, and future history to your needs, or even create your own. Again, part of the whole point of the world is for the players to make it their Eberron. Because of the unique ability for the DM to fill in teh background details as he chooses, no two group's Eberrons are going to be the same. And that's awesome.

 

[Treebore]

Could someone delete this thread, please?

Why? Did someone already suggest Goodman Games DCC 35 Aeroth setting?

 

[Silvercat Moonpaw]

No, because my mood changed. And I decided not to bother because I actually have no idea what I want. I'm sorry if I took up anyone's time.

 

[El Mahdi]

Maybe a published setting isn't for you. Just because others feel that since you are a new DM, you should use a published setting, doesn't necessarily mean they are right. I tried to post something about this in the other thread but either my connection or the server sent it into the ethernet of oblivion.

I don't know if there is a setting in existence that meets your criteria, and there are a lot of settings out there (at least hundreds, if not a thousand or more). They don't have to be a WoTC setting. Fluff is pretty much non-setting dependent.

I would think that, with what you don't want in your campaign, you have a good idea of what you do want. Maybe try this as a template:

1. Decide what cultures you want in your game. You can use real-world analogies, "Fantasy" analogies, or even make up your own. Decide which races you are going to use in this game, to give it the feel you are looking for.

2. Make a map or use an already printed map. There are maps in settings you can use and there are websites that have awesome collections of unique maps. There have been other threads on ENWorld with links to these sites. I'm sure there are other people on here that remember them or have them saved (I think one of them is called the Cartographers Guild).

3. Place the cultures on your map in a way that reinforces the interplay and plot lines that you wanted to use. Don't overdo fleshing out the world though. It's easy to get lost in the details. Just expound the parts you need to start out with, such as: where the PC's are starting, the environs of your first adventure, the environs your plots and sub-plots may lead the PCs.

4. List the plot lines and subplots you want to explore and run your players through.

5. Either write your own adventure(s) involving your plots and sub-plots or pick some published adventures that either fit or can be adapted to your game. Think up hooks (or even steal them from any of the plots threads here on ENWorld) to get the players involved and lead them to the plots and sub-plots you have.

6. Let your players loose and see what happens. Let them add to the world itself with the characters and backgrounds they choose (with your guidance of course). Through cooperative effort between you and your players, all of you can flesh out and bring your setting to life.


Despite the occasional contrary curmudgeon you will encounter here on ENWorld, there are a lot of respected game designers and authors on the site. This place has a bit of the "who's who" of the gaming industry. Most of them or more than happy, and even eager, to give advice and help.

 

[El Mahdi]

No, because my mood changed. And I decided not to bother because I actually have no idea what I want. I'm sorry if I took up anyone's time.

Dude, don't be sorry. We are all just here wasting time anyways.

 

[Treebore]

Dude, don't be sorry. We are all just here wasting time anyways.

Yep.

If you do go home brew start small. Only make it big enough to do what you want to do with a campaign. Expansion can come later.

 

[Hussar]

I would point out that while many settings have some war going on somewhere in the setting, it's pretty rare that a war is covering the entire setting.

Most published settings are BIG. Far and away bigger than you really need for a single campaign. You can simply pick an area that fits your ideas and then the conflicts suddenly don't enter into the picture.

Take Scarred Lands, my personal favorite setting. While it does have everything you don't want in a setting, it doesn't have everything in one place. You could set your game in Fangsfall, for example, and suddenly most of the issues you have are gone - no roving hordes, no major armed conflicts, no genocide.

I think if you really are interested in using a published setting, it would be a good idea to think of which area you want to use, rather than the entire setting.

 

[tsadkiel]

What I want in my setting:
I want a generic, mid- to high-magic fantasy setting that has none of the following:
current wars
wars that are obviously about to happen
current secret groups plotting to take over
any hordes roving around at the current time
world-destroying horrors
secret evil things that come in the night to carry you off
hatred so bad it's currently resulting in genocide or cruel oppression.

Yes, actually. Uresia is designed to be a world that isn't in imminent peril. Of course, it may stretch your definition of "generic," what with the kung fu druids and the combat chefs and the slimes as player character race.